Dumpster Diving--You Can Make a Living from it!

I found this video that brings a whole new name to dumpster diving. For those of you that saw Tim Anderson's Instructable on Cinnamon Garbage, this video just reiterates the fact that you can find some pretty valuable items dumpster diving.

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When you say dumpster..are u referring to skips people hire to get rid of rubbish or are you meaning the larger steel bins at shopping centers and apartment blocks? I'm keen to find some good locations to upcycle groovy waste...I swear some ppl must have too much money. Kerbside collection is a goldmine! Also charity bins that are overflowing...and their rubbish bins are a sight for sore eyes too as they can only store so much stock received so the rest is thrown out. Many dont accept electrical goods as it has to be tested so they chuck it out..also baby goods such ad prams/cots etc. Love a heads up in Brisbane where to visit or companies/places worth checking out. I was told beta electrical has a big bin worth checking out but haven't checked it out as yet

Do it in the right neighborhood and hit the right places.. you can live like a king. People throw out perfectly good things for god knows why.. take the glass chess set and such he found. Perfect and frequent/easy finds out there.

I am a Refuse Receptical Recovery Specialist. Unfortunately that is in the former tense. Our local refuse company is also a state of the art recyceling plant. Everything that is picked up by their trucks is put on a conveyor belt and sorted into large roll off trash bins and then sent to the appropriate recyceling facility of which they own two of. One scrap steel operation, and a paper facility. Each of their dumpsters has in bold four inch lettering "NO DUMPSTER DIVING" on two sides. The owner actually went to the city council and had a new city ordinence enacted prohibiting dumpster diving about 6 years ago. They cited an incident where someone got hurt on one of their trash dumpsters (not dumpster diving) and sued them. The new law was for "the public safety". Apartment buildings around the fifteenth to the end of the month were my best ones. Thats about the time that money starts to get short, tempers flair, and girlfriend tosses drunk passed out boyfriends stuff in trash. There is a way to get into the "GOOD" bins that I used on places like Sears, Thrifty, K Mart, and local appliance and electronics stores. The initial set up is a little risky, but after that just wait till after the stores close and its all yours. You need a couple cheap locks from the dollar store, or your junk drawer, and a pair of bolt cutters. Cut the chain on the opposite side that the stores lock is on. Use your lock to reattach it, and maybe add in one or two other locks to make it look like it is just an old lock from a previous client. Once you are done all you do is unlock YOUR lock and you are in. Having a typed up note in your pocket on company letterhead (Easy enough to get once you are in the trash bin) prepaired with permission to "recover useable items from refuse bin located at......." with the managers signature at the bottom will keep the local cops off your case. These are easy enough to photo shop or just edit in MS Paint is all I did. The cops wont check as you are not stealing anything. I never made a living at DDing, but I came up with some sweet stuff! Remember...SAFETY FIRST! Leather gloves, heavy boots, Levis, long sleeve shirt, and safety glasses are a minimum. I ALWAYS wore this plus a pair of coveralls. There is sharp glass, metal, syringes, toxic waste and lots more that can ruin your day in dumpsters. Have fun. Hope this helps! Smitty

Hi everyone! I work at a production company, and we are currently casting for a new upcoming documentary series about people who dumpster dive for a living. If you want to find out more about this awesome opportunity, please send me an email to mskouras@asylument.com. Thanks!